This invention relates to air-inflatable structures formed of flexible panels or sheets, e.g., rubber, non-porous fabric, or plastic. Structures of principal interest are simulated military structures useful as decoys, e.g., simulated vehicles or buildings. Such decoys are deployable during wartime to give the enemey false information as to actual vehicle quantities and actual vehicle locations, the aim being to draw enemy fire so that less ammunition is available to deal with actual fighting machines or structures. Among the military structures to be simulated are trucks, tanks, barracks and similar small buildings, tents, trailers, and cargo containers.
Many of the military structures of principal interest have flat sides and sharp corners. It is difficult to simulate such shapes when using conventional air-inflated systems; internal air pressures tend to round out the corners and flat sides so that the pressurized structures do not fully simulate the actual structures. I believe that if the air-inflatable structures are designed to include a series of separate air bags, one for each flat wall, it should be possible to achieve a more realistic simulation of the actual structure. Under my concept sharp corners are formed at the separation lines between different ones of the air bags, such that the bags do not extend across the corner areas.
Principal objects of the invention are to provide a three dimension air-inflatable structure wherein:
1. at least some of the structure walls have flat outer surfaces,
2. the corners between adjacent walls are sharp, as opposed to being rounded or bulged out,
3. only relatively small quantities of pressurized air are required to inflate the structure to its three dimensional configuration, and
4. the structure occupies a relatively small storage space in its deflated condition.